Elementary School Science: Emphasizing the Basics Presented by Frank H. Osborne, Ph. D. © 2015 EMSE 3123 Math and Science in Elem. Ed.

Teaching Science the Right Way The best way to teach science is to have children DO science. Doing science is what scientists do. Scientists ask questions about the world and try to find answers to these questions. Sometimes they use the Scientific Method, but many times they use Trial and Error. We start with a guess or hypothesis. Answers are known as theories. The word “theory” in science means “explanation.”

Teaching Science the Wrong Way Many teachers transfer facts to children using lectures straight out of the textbook. Very little attention is given to developing thinking processes and skills. Children are naturally curious but bad teaching turns them off to science. Straight memorization of facts spoils this. By eight grade, ¾ of all students hate science. DON’T TEACH THIS WAY!

The Nature of Science Teachers are expected to be able to talk to school students about: What science is—its goals, values and assumptions How it is different from such philosophies as religion or others All science knowledge is tentative There is not necessarily one method Science acts by disproving rather than proving

The Nature of Science What science is—its goals, values and assumptions –The goal of science is to increase knowledge about the natural world around us. –Science is a set of concepts, principles, theories and laws that are based on observations, measurements, or counting of observable objects or phenomena. –Science is not a consensus field. Drawing conclusions by consensus is political not scientific.

The Nature of Science Science is different from such philosophies as religion or other non-scientific ways of thinking Religion is a faith-based system. It involves a belief in something that cannot be observed, measured or counted. For example, if a person says, “I believe in global warming,” they have made a religious statement, not a scientific one.

The Nature of Science All science knowledge is tentative Scientific explanations are known as theories. When a scientific theory is proposed, other scientists try to see if it can be weakened, knocked down, or disproven using observations, measurements and counting. Any theory that can stand up to this type of scrutiny can be acceptable, but there is always the chance of other scientists proving it wrong.

The Nature of Science There is not necessarily one method We generally teach the scientific method which involves the use of a control. As noted earlier, some discoveries are made by trial and error. In mathematics and physics there have been times where several equations were proposed and the one that fit best was used.

The Nature of Science Science acts by disproving rather than proving To explain the formation of mountains, William Herschel suggested that Earth was cooling and therefore shrinking such as an apple would do. Scientists who took thermometers into deep mines noted that as you descend, the temperature increases. Therefore, Earth is not cooling and Herschel’s theory was disproved.

Inquiry Children are naturally curious. We take advantage of this curiosity by using “hands-on” science teaching. We must emphasize observation, measurement, collecting, organizing and interpreting data, and, making and testing hypotheses. Drills and memorization are out.

Teaching Math and Science The forgoing discussion also applies to mathematics, which is the purest science. Science activities involve lots of measurement and working with data. Measurement and Data are also a major component of the Common Core Math Standards. We will study science emphasizing methods, especially activities, that develop thinking skills such as hypothesis building, collection and analysis of data.

Teaching Math and Science We need to ask how can such skills can be developed? What are the best teaching techniques to enhance thinking skills? To do this we will study measuring systems. In order to collect and analyze data, one must have measuring tools and a system of measurement. We will follow the Learning Cycle Approach.

The Learning Cycle Approach The Learning Cycle Approach is designed to create maximum chance for mental disequilibrium. This will lead the student to ‘discover” concepts instead of merely being given the information. As the teacher, you are looking for evidence that mental changes in the student have occurred as a result of internalization of these discoveries of knowledge.

The Learning Cycle Approach Exploration Activity Students are presented with a problem and a period of free exploration. Emphasis is on concrete open-ended student experiences designed to place them into a state of mental disequilibrium. In a measurement activity, students devise a measurement system. The point here is to make them think about how such a system would work.

The Learning Cycle Approach Exploration Activity Mental disequilibrium comes about when students see that whatever system they have developed (and there are really no right or wrong answers in this case), will probably have limitations and other difficulties associated with it. The activity provides concrete experiences. It allows students to formulate ideas.

The Learning Cycle Approach Exploration Activity Social interaction is important element for mental development according to Piaget. Therefore, it is a good idea to divide the class into small groups which work together. During Exploration Activity the instructor supplies encouragement and provides hints and/or suggestions to maintain the appropriate level of disequilibrium.

The Learning Cycle Approach Exploration Activity The role of the teacher is extremely important. Always try to work with what the students are doing but do not try to teach them the “correct” way or your own way. At this point the most important function of the student is to think about the problem rather than coming up with answers.

The Learning Cycle Approach Invention or Concept Formation Activity This is the phase with emphasis on generalization of concrete experience and abstract possibilities. During the invention activity, students are encouraged to formulate relationships which generalize the ideas and concrete experiences. The teacher acts as a mediator in assisting students to formulate these relationships.

The Learning Cycle Approach Invention or Concept Formation Activity In the measurement activity, you were encouraged to continually divide your measurement tool into 10 equal parts. This is based on the fact that you are probably doing so already.

The Learning Cycle Approach Application Activity Emphasis is on the relevant use of generalized concepts and/or skills. These activities should be designed to provide further experience which will act as broadening experiences relevant to new skills and concepts.

Measurement Systems Lab Activity on How to Teach Measurement Lab activity began with you being asked about how you would go about teaching the metric system. This was the exploration part of a Learning Cycle activity designed to make you think about measurement systems and how to introduce them to your students.

Measurement Systems Lab Activity on How to Teach Measurement You may have thought about lecture ideas because you were probably taught that way. Maybe you even were placed in a state of mental disequilibrium as you thought about the problems you might encounter. Then you did the Lab Activity on Measurement Systems.

Measurement Systems Lab Activity Measurement Systems After doing the Lab Activity on Measurement Systems, you were asked to compare what you wrote with the contents of the activity. After being introduced to the learning cycle you were asked to rethink your own ideas. This was actually the concept introduction part of the learning cycle.

Measurement Systems Lab Activity Measurement Systems Finally, you read the last few slides which made you rethink everything that was done in term of this cycle. This is the application part of the learning cycle.

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